HOUSTON - Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros agreed to a $73 million, five-year contract extension on the ace's 29th birthday Tuesday, the biggest multiyear deal the team has ever given to a pitcher.

 

Oswalt, the MVP of the 2005 NL championship series, passed up a chance to become a free agent after the 2007 season and is now under Houston's control through 2011. He is currently in the second year of a two-year, $16.9 million contract that pays him $11 million this season.

 

His new deal, which has a no-trade clause and an option for a sixth year, will pay Oswalt $13 million in each of the first two years and $14 million in 2009. He will get $15 million in 2010 and $16 million in 2011.

 

The contract includes a $2 million buyout for 2012. Oswalt could opt out of that year and take a smaller payment.

 

The right-hander is 10-8 with a 3.25 ERA in 27 games this season. He is 93-47 in six seasons in Houston.

 

The Astros were said to have listened to trade offers for Oswalt before the July 31 deadline, including one report that indicated they offered him as part of a proposed deal for Baltimore shortstop Miguel Tejada.

 

By winning 20 games last season, Oswalt became the first pitcher in the major leagues to post 20 wins in consecutive seasons since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did it in 2001 and 2002. It was also the first time an Astros pitcher had achieved the feat since Joe Niekro in 1979 and 1980.

 

Oswalt gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings Tuesday night against Milwaukee but did not get a decision. He won two games in the 2005 NLCS against St. Louis, including the clincher in Game 6 to send the Astros to their first World Series.

 

 

 

 

Interesting....5 years is a long time for a guy who is always on the DL but no one can doubt his stuff!

I think he would have gotten more if he was a FA

I think he would have gotten more if he was a FA

 

There are no guarantee's in free agency, if someone wants to give you $73 million dollars right now, you take it.

Barry Zito is going to be one happy guy come this off season as he'll be the biggest fish now and this Oswalt contract sets him up for a nice contract (a la AJ Burnett)

14 mil+ a year, for a guy that plays every 5 days..that's pretty good.

14 million dollars a year for a pitcher whose developed a lot of issues with muscle strains this year. Yeah, the Astros are stupid.

 

 

And 5 years to boot.

two time 20 game winner.

 

 

never had any major injury issue. good deal for the astros. i wouldnt exactly call roy a real injury prone pitcher.

 

 

and considering what other pitchers are getting, not that out of this world.

Nice work by the Astros

Nice job by Houston.. They got the deal done early.. He wouldnt have been a FA till after next season....

good sign, but I'd be hesitant anytime a pitcher gets signed to a 5 year deal

This guy is a workhorse. Nice signing. Hopefully nothing sour is left over from the trade deadline when they were trying to deal him.

Giving a long term deal, especially that kind of money, to a pitcher is stupid...I don't care how good they are...he may not have a history of injury problems, but even the most durable pitchers are too prone to injury to sign for five years

I'm surprised Beckett didn't get this kind of contract.

 

You have to believe expectations he'd be looking for this are a big part of the reason he was shipped out of town, too.

Good move by the Astros. As someone else said, the guy's a horse. He's never had a major problem with control, either. Very nicely done by Houston.